CHAPTER 119

Qin Yinong turned and walked away, her steps slightly faster than usual.

Tang Ruoyao chuckled as she watched Qin Yinong's graceful figure and set down her mineral water before catching up with her.

It wasn't that she particularly wanted to see Qin Yinong embarrassed or angered, but because she had a scene with her next.

After hearing the news that Xu Shiming was coming back, Han Zifei quickly left her meal and rushed to the next door to find Shen Muqing. She asked her if she knew about it.

Shen Muqing was telling a bedtime story to her son, Xu Di, who was dozing off. She was tucking him in when Han Zifei rushed in, startling the half-asleep Xu Di.

Shen Muqing shook her head helplessly, and Han Zifei looked embarrassed.

After putting Xu Di back to sleep, the two of them went to the study and locked the door to discuss the matter.

Han Yuping held a cigarette between his fingers, surrounded by a cloud of smoke within half a meter.

Qin Yinong walked over, furrowing her brows slightly and waving her hand.

Han Yuping made a gesture for her to wait, and he went to the side to extinguish the cigarette before quickly approaching.

Qin Yinong said, "Smoke less. Next time, I'll complain to your wife."

Han Yuping replied, "I know. I was just thinking."

Qin Yinong looked at the colorful script on his desk and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Han Yuping pointed to the part where Han Zifei rushed in and said, "This part, should we add some other emotions?"

"What kind of emotions?"

"Worry, nervousness, and subtle mistrust. You just found out about Xu Shiming's return not long ago, and you've been processing it all day. You were expecting to draw strength from Han Zifei, but instead, you found that she was even more flustered than you."

Qin Yinong remained silent.

With this kind of approach, the relationship between Shen Muqing and Han Zifei was destined not to last. It may seem sturdy, but in reality, it is easily shaken by any little storm.

"It's better not to add them," Tang Ruoyao said, appearing behind Qin Yinong at some point.Qin Yinong turned around, and Tang Ruoyao smiled at her.

Han Yuping asked seriously, "Why not?"

Although the movie is the director's art, it is never a one-man show for the director. The more talented the actors are, the deeper their understanding of the characters will be. Good directors learn from actors and vice versa, creating a positive and productive chemistry.

Tang Ruoyao: "The relationship between them is not so fragile. For Han Zifei, she is resolute and won't be flustered just because of Xu Shiming's return. She knows exactly what role she plays and wants to give strength to Shen Muqing. Shen Muqing didn't start off distrusting Han Zifei either. It should be said that she never distrusted her throughout. She has always loved and been loved, but circumstances forced her to give up on her. Isn't that right, Senior Qin?"

Qin Yinong curled her lips slightly and said, "Yes." She pointed her finger at the spot where Han Yuping had stopped earlier and said solemnly, "Not only that, I also think we should change the scene where Xu Di is startled by Han Zifei bursting in. Instead, let's change it to Han Zifei seeing her comforting the child in the bedroom and waiting outside the door before going to the study together."

Tang Ruoyao continued, "Yes, I agree."

The script had been completed long ago, but actors are not machines who mechanically follow the script to achieve the expected results. The same movie with different actors can evoke vastly different feelings. Actors bring their own interpretations and style to their performances. These two actors had already filmed a large portion of the movie, and they had integrated the characters into their very beings. To them, Shen Muqing and Han Zifei were living, breathing individuals, not just words on a cold script.

Han Yuping was somewhat convinced and pondered, "I'll call the on-set screenwriter over, and we can discuss how to make the changes together."

Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao simultaneously looked at each other and smiled.

Qin Yinong said, "Miss Tang has a great insight."

Tang Ruoyao replied, "Senior Qin taught me well."

Qin Yinong was momentarily taken aback and was about to ask when she had taught Tang Ruoyao. But then she realized that she had indeed been teaching Tang Ruoyao for several years, not only guiding her in acting but also through personal interactions.

Both the correct and incorrect aspects were learned well.

Qin Yinong's thoughts suddenly became impure, so she picked up the script on the table to clear her mind.

Han Yuping brought the on-set screenwriter over, and they discussed the specific changes for the scene. The four of them brainstormed and quickly made the necessary improvements. The on-set screenwriter said, "Based on your understanding of the characters, some parts of the script later on will need to be adjusted as well."

Han Yuping replied, "We can discuss and make further changes while filming. Making premature changes might not adapt well to the on-set circumstances."

The on-set screenwriter sighed and said, "Okay."

Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao said in unison, "Thank you, Miss Wang."

Screenwriter Wang smiled, "No need to thank me, you've worked hard too." She didn't know why, but when the two of them looked at her and spoke just now, even though their faces were completely different, she felt a strong sense of similarity.

"Scene 35, shot 2, take 1, action!"

Shen Muqing put down the storybook and neatly placed it on the bedside table. She straightened up after tucking Xu Di in and rubbed her sore neck with one hand while walking out. At the doorway, Han Zifei grabbed her hand and held it in her own, while the other hand closed the bedroom door.

In the study, the room was dimly lit.

Han Zifei pressed Shen Muqing into the chair behind the desk and placed her hands on her shoulders, gently massaging to relieve the tension in her neck and shoulders.

"Xu Shiming is coming back?"

Shen Muqing softly murmured, her hand unconsciously covering Han Zifei's hand on her shoulder, holding it tightly.

Han Zifei stopped massaging and held her hand, moving in front of her and looking into her eyes, saying gently, "Don't be afraid, I'll always be with you."

"I'm not afraid."

Shen Muqing slowly pressed her forehead against the back of Han Zifei's hand.

"I want to be with you forever."

.....

Han Yuping said, "Cut." He made an "OK" gesture behind the monitor, without lifting his head. "It's a wrap, everyone can pack up."

The once bustling film set, filled with the noise of machinery, footsteps, and prop movements, suddenly quieted down.

Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao removed their makeup in their respective dressing rooms and met outside. Tang Ruoyao said, "Senior Qin, the crew arranged a car for me, so I can't ride with you anymore."

Qin Yinong nodded and said, "Alright, let's go together then."

In Qin Yinong's phone, there was still a message from Tang Ruoyao that she had sent from the dressing room earlier, explaining that it was to avoid suspicion outside and not for any other reason, asking her not to think too much about it.

Qin Yinong was satisfied with this explanation.

Tang Ruoyao also mentioned that if Qin Yinong got bored on the car, she could send her a message and they could chat. Qin Yinong didn't comment on that. She could almost imagine Tang Ruoyao's smiling face when she sent that message.

The two of them separated by the car, and the faint smile hanging on Tang Ruoyao's lips immediately disappeared. She took out her phone and typed a message: [Sister Mu, I'm done for the day.]

After a few minutes, Mu Qingwu replied: [Message sent.]

Tang Ruoyao's palms were sweaty, so she wiped them on her coat. Instead of waiting until she returned to the hotel, she logged into her email to check the details. Mu Qingwu had sent her a compressed file, but her phone didn't have the decompression software to open it.

Tang Ruoyao had no choice but to give up and turned her face towards the window, watching the rapidly retreating shadows of the trees.

Eventually, she didn't know if she wanted to arrive early or if she hoped the journey would be longer, with no end in sight.

She bumped into Qin Yinong at the elevator entrance.

Qin Yinong usually arrived earlier, so meeting her meant she had intentionally waited for Tang Ruoyao. Tang Ruoyao adjusted her mood, tugged at the corner of her lips, and forced a smile as she approached. "Senior Qin."

"Hmm." Qin Yinong glanced at her with concern and said, "You don't look too good." A bit pale.

Guan Han pressed the elevator button.

The four of them entered in sequence.

Tang Ruoyao said, "I had the window open when I was in the car earlier, maybe the wind got to me."

Qin Yinong's expression showed disapproval. "You were too careless. Be careful not to get caught by the paparazzi."

Tang Ruoyao obediently replied, "I'll be more careful next time."

Qin Yinong's fingers hanging by her side twitched, looking at the camera inside the elevator, suppressing the urge to reach out and touch Tang Ruoyao's face.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

They bid farewell at the doorway, and Tang Ruoyao closed the door behind her.

Qin Yinong raised an eyebrow in slight surprise.

Usually, Tang Ruoyao would wait until she saw her close the door before closing her own. Why was she in such a hurry today? What was she rushing to do?

Tang Ruoyao leaned against the door and took a breath, striding to the table. She took out her notebook from the black bag, not using the hotel's public network but connecting to her own phone hotspot. She opened her email and clicked on the decompressed folder.

The room was silent, with only the sound of her own breathing, heavy and rhythmic.

Mu Qingwu had sent her four videos with specific names. The first one was named Qin Hongjian, and the other three were named Qin Yinong 1, 2, 3. Tang Ruoyao put on her headphones and clicked on the video titled Qin Hongjian.

As she had anticipated when she saw the file name, Mu Qingwu had sent her the interview video of Qin Hongjian from that year, the segment that Han Yuping mentioned about spreading rumors about Qin Yinong.

The interview took place in a residential area, and the camera captured several old-style residential buildings. Qin Yinong, who inherited a significant portion of her genes from her parents, looked beautiful. Tang Ruoyao had never seen her mother, Tang Ruoyao, but Qin Hongjian did indeed have a handsome face with sharp eyebrows and eyes. With a slight stubble, he appeared even more charming and his words carried more credibility.

If Tang Ruoyao wasn't an outsider, just by watching this video segment, she would tend to believe it.

A person's appearance can deceive others, being good-looking or not has no correlation with being a decent person.

Qin Hongjian was full of confidence, holding several microphones in his hands, surrounded by journalists. He lifted a few microphones and the camera flashes kept going off, as he constantly changed his smile.

"Regarding your daughter Qin Yinong's sudden rise to fame, do you have anything to say?"

"I'm very proud, and I hope she continues to work hard and doesn't disappoint everyone's expectations."

"Recently, there have been media reports about a secret relationship between Qin Yinong and Xia Zhiyang. Is it true or false?"

Qin Hongjian tilted his head slightly and smiled, "Xia Zhiyang? I'm not sure if it's that actor, but she is indeed in a relationship with an actor. She even said during our last phone call that she wants to bring him home to meet the parents."

Like a drop of water splashing into a hot frying pan, the headphones transmitted the boiling sound of the reporters at the scene. They were like hungry wolves in the wild, chasing after a fat prey, eagerly asking questions.

"Your daughter is still underage, don't you object?"

"I don't object. What could I object to? Whether she's dating one person or two, three people, I have no objections."

The reporters were sharp, capable of creating topics even without any. Moreover, what Qin Hongjian revealed now was a shocking revelation. Tang Ruoyao could hear the excitement in the reporter's voice as they asked, almost breaking their voice, "Are you saying she's dating several people at the same time?!"

Qin Hongjian smiled, "I'm not sure. She only told me about one."

The camera flashes immediately became more intense.

Reporter: "Are you implying that there are several she didn't tell you about? Maybe even dozens of them?"

Qin Hongjian: "Hmm, maybe."

Tang Ruoyao was so furious that her hands were trembling.

Lies! Nonsense!

In the video, Qin Hongjian continued to talk casually, "Since she was young, Qin Yinong has always been popular among the opposite sex. She was especially favored by boys even in elementary school. They would send her home and even give her flowers. It was even more extreme in high school, where boys who pursued her could line up from the entrance of her house to the station. Even if she went on a date with someone every day, she couldn't possibly meet them all."

The reporter's microphone poked Qin Hongjian's mouth, and he excitedly asked, "Dating every day?"

Qin Hongjian reminisced for a moment and smiled, "Not that frequent, maybe once every two or three days. Each time with a different guy, and I even brought a few of them home. I have to say, those young lads are quite handsome, she have good taste."

The progress bar was still halfway, and Tang Ruoyao's heart couldn't help but fluctuate. She pressed the pause button to calm her anger. She only hated that she wasn't born ten years earlier to tear Qin Hongjian's mouth apart on the spot!

In the latter part, Tang Ruoyao remained expressionless throughout, treating it as a performance by an ugly duckling.

She then proceeded to play the next video but heard a buzzing sound from her phone.

Mu Qingwu: [Numbered 1, 2, and 3 correspond to different periods. Number 1 is an interview with Qin Yinong regarding the rumors of her chaotic private life that surfaced right after her role as Daji in "Fengshen." Numbers 2 and 3 are the situations when Qin Hongjian was surrounded by reporters after the release of the interview videos.]

Tang Ruoyao: [Thank you.]

Mu Qingwu sighed.

Tang Ruoyao took off and put on her headphones, then clicked on the first segment. "Fengshen" had been filming for over two months and had only been aired for half a year when Qin Yinong skyrocketed to fame like a rocket. She was still two months away from her eighteenth birthday.

Seventeen-year-old Qin Yinong faced the group of reporters without any fear, perhaps irritated by their nonsensical remarks. Under the flashing lights, she looked fierce, her lips curved into a cold smile. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I haven't done anything. If I say I haven't done it, then I haven't. No matter how much you write nonsense, it won't change the facts."

"Do you reporters have no any bottom line? Speaking without evidence, can you take responsibility for what you say? You know more about my so-called private life than I do, as a party involved."

She shrugged her shoulders for a moment. "I'm just an ordinary person. I'm not really Daji just because I played her in a drama. Natural disasters have nothing to do with me, and man-made calamities too. Why are we still clinging to feudal superstitions and playing the blame game with beautiful women? If I had that ability, why would I be an actress? I might as well become a fortune teller at a roadside stall, it would be much easier than being an actress."

The reporters, provoked by her strong attitude, argued and sniped back, asking sharp questions. Qin Yinong's anger was evident as she said, "Wasn't my response clear enough? It's all fake. Besides acting on set, I haven't done anything else. If you have time to care about my nonexistent private life, why don't you focus on more important national issues?"

She waved away the microphone in front of her and walked away without looking back.

Tang Ruoyao bit her lip and smiled.

The young and naive Qin Yinong, the witty and humorous Qin Yinong, the sharp and angular Qin Yinong.

Her fingertip touched the screen, caressing the slightly rounder facial contours of Qin Yinong compared to the present, and her smile gradually faded. It was the Qin Yinong from twelve years ago.

The video ended with Qin Yinong's departing figure, brushing her sleeve.

Tang Ruoyao crossed her fingers and rested her chin on them for a long time, hesitating to click on the next video.

Finally, she double-clicked on it.

The video quality was not as good as the previous two. The footage was shaky, filled with a dense crowd of people, like a spreading black terror, trapping a person in the center, making it impossible to move an inch.

Even though the person had their head down, wearing a duckbill cap, struggling to make their way through the crowd, Tang Ruoyao recognized them at a glance. It was Qin Yinong.

There were no bodyguards around her, only an assistant, a petite figure holding onto her arm, struggling to raise their hand to block the camera from directly hitting Qin Yinong's face.

"We are not accepting interviews right now. Please stop filming!" The assistant's voice sounded weak amidst the noisy crowd, immediately drowned out by the sharp questions thrown by the media reporters, reveling in their misfortune.

"Your father recently gave an interview confirming your involvement with several men. What do you have to say about that?"

"The evidence is solid. Are you still going to deny it?!"

"The lies you told were exposed by your own father. Your ice-cold pure image has collapsed. What do you want to say to your fans who have supported you all this time?"

"Don't you think you should sincerely apologize to the public? At the very least, you should kneel down."

"Did you ever think that one day your lies would be exposed?"

Silence was like stagnant water, surrounding Qin Yinong's periphery, unable to stir up any waves. She just walked with her head down, not saying a word, even though every step was difficult.

The screen suddenly blurred.

Tang Ruoyao couldn't see clearly what it was, but in the video, Qin Yinong's head tilted, and a smear of yellowish mud, wet like egg whites mixed with egg yolks, spread on the black brim of her duckbill cap. It flowed down, dampening her long hair by her ear and staining the fabric on her shoulder.

One after another, the wet strands of hair stuck to her neck.

"You bitch! Go die!"

A voice erupted from the crowd.

"Why aren't you saying anything? How many people do you like to sleep with? Stop pretending to be pure and innocent. You're just a sl*t, opening your legs for thousands of men, offering all three holes at night!"

Then, from some corner, a bottle cap flew out, as if shot from a slingshot, spinning and smashing towards Qin Yinong. She managed to dodge in time, but the bottle cap grazed her eye, leaving a deep blue mark and fresh blood.

Blood started flowing from her injured eye, and the bloodstain quickly traced a horrifying path on half of her face.

The assistant beside her was so frightened that she burst into tears.

Qin Yinong reached out and sheltered her in her arms.

The world fell silent for two seconds.

The reporters exchanged glances, and the cameras frantically filmed the bleeding wound on her face. The questions became sharper and more unpleasant, pressing forward.

The flashlights went off like never before, creating an intense barrage.

Qin Yinong's body tensed up, and suddenly, she broke down in front of the cameras, crying uncontrollably, like a child isolated by the whole world.

"I said I didn't do it! Why won't you believe me?" she sobbed.

Her sadness and sorrow were the grand carnival the entertainment media had been waiting for.

Reporters jostled and pushed, competing to capture every tear and every sob, turning her blood and tears into words, becoming tomorrow's front-page headlines.

"So, you want me to apologize, right? Fine, I apologize," Qin Yinong said, tears streaming down her face. "I was wrong, I shouldn't have lied. Please, please, just leave me alone."

The reporters pompously said, "It's not us you should apologize to; it's the audience and fans who were expecting and supporting you." The reporter aimed the camera at her. "Come on, say it here."

"I apologize," Qin Yinong faced the camera, choking on her words. "I made a mistake, I'm sorry, everyone."

The reporters maliciously laughed and said, "Get down on your knees to show sincerity."

Qin Yinong dropped to her knees.

In front of all the media cameras, she knelt straight and firm.

The reporters were taken aback by how obedient she was, momentarily stunned. It wasn't until Qin Yinong lifted her face with a numb expression and asked, "Is this enough? What more do I need to do?"

Only then they were willing to let her go.

......

Video Number 3.

Shortly after this incident, Qin Yinong was once again surrounded by reporters. She avoided looking at the camera the entire time, trembling nervously. She couldn't utter a word, her eyes filled with panic. When she saw her assistant, she hurriedly hid behind her, refusing to even lift her head.

She hunched her shoulders, shrinking in fear, completely different from the rebellious Qin Yinong several months ago.

Tang Ruoyao didn't know how she managed to watch these two videos in their entirety. By the time the progress bar reached the end of the last video, she couldn't see anything clearly anymore. Her hand tightly gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white from the force. A suffocating feeling weighed on her heart and lungs, causing her to cough uncontrollably. She had to take deep breaths to remind herself that she was still alive.

She thought that Qin Yinong only endured online violence, the relentless daily and yearly abuse in the form of words printed on paper or posted online. She was also a celebrity, although Qin Yinong protected her well, she had experienced varying degrees of being smeared. She once believed that even if she couldn't fully empathize, she could understand to a large extent. But she was completely wrong.

It turned out that when Han Yuping said, "The insults written on paper and posted online now are merely a drop in the ocean, not even a fraction of a percent compared to what she endured back then." he meant this. He knew it all, and she was so shallow.

No wonder she was plagued by nightmares. No wonder she was so afraid of reporters. No wonder she didn't dare to clarify rumors. No wonder she always had so many bodyguards with her. No wonder she couldn't trust anyone.

Tang Ruoyao lifted her face, tears streaming down.

Mu Qingwu bit the pen in her hand. It was about time. She sent a message to Tang Ruoyao.

[Have you finished watching?]

Tang Ruoyao wiped her tears, her fingers still trembling, and slowly typed a reply: [I've finished watching.]

Mu Qingwu: [The kneeling video was not made public, and it was not reported at the time. I obtained it through special means. The person who threw eggs and bottle caps at her was among the crowd, possibly an intentionally a reporter intentionally creating a topic or someone hired by someone else. It's been too long, and we can't investigate it now.]

Tang Ruoyao: [Thank you, Sister Mu.]

Mu Qingwu: [You're welcome. While you were filming during the day, I found some new information. Do you want to hear it?]

Author's Note:

The merciful cliffhanger, the story isn't over yet. Take it slowly~

There are still things we couldn't find. We'll have to wait for Sister Mu to reveal them herself.

Here's a comment from a Weibo reader, from Line Segment Baby is Cute and Silly: Everyone knows how she was polished to be without edges, like a square stone naturally polished into a round shape. But they all overlooked the flesh and blood crushed and ground into the ground, forgetting that she was supposed to be a living person.

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